Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

It was easy to find Adam.

All Daggett had to do was look for a large clearing, strewn with countless corpses, on the battlefield. When he spotted the youth, his blood turned cold, and his expression grew solemn.

A chilling thought echoed inside his mind:

How could one man be capable of such carnage?

There were hundreds and hundreds of corpses sprawled all around the Dark King. Warm blood flowed from these cold corpses, dyeing the land a deep crimson.

However, it wasn't the number of corpses that shocked the Mana Core-cultist, but the way they had been butchered.

He could tell that most of these Magi had been killed by a single strike. Some had their skulls caved in by a palm thrust, others had their throats ripped out by a slash of the claw.

While some had their hearts pierced through, others had their necks snapped in unnatural angles. And if the target wasn't killed in a single strike, then the second would seal their fates. Even powerful Mana Vortex Magi met their ends in the same manner.

And all the while, the Dark King hadn't used any weapons—just his hands.

A chill crawled down Daggett's spine. He couldn't help but wonder, If the boy is already such a menace as a Mana Vortex Magus… what would happen if he advanced to the next rank?

Is that why the Lord wants him so badly? It makes sense… he is the perfect vessel!

He cast concealment spells on himself, silently prowling through the sea of corpses as he approached Adam from behind. This looked like it was going to be easier than he had expected. The Dark King seemed to be completely exhausted in both body and mind.

As Daggett approached his target, his mind drifted towards his Lord and his actions in Europa.

He has been actively looking for vessels for hundreds of years. Almost all the great young prodigies of this world have, in one way or another, been taken to the Cult.

As for what happens to them… only the Lord and the Five Elders know. But the fact that every year the supply of prodigies never ceases means that the Lord hasn't found the perfect vessel… yet.

Thinking of what Adam's existence could possibly mean for the future, Daggett's eyes flashed with a look of reverence. But the next moment, they turned cold.

He was already behind the Dark King. His spell was prepared. Now, all that was needed was perfect execution.

Despite confronting a Magus one entire rank weaker than him, Daggett still chose to be utterly cautious. This spoke volumes about Adam's strength and prowess. Many had tried to capture him, including a Mana Core Magus. But all of them had failed.

Daggett wasn't going to fail. This was the perfect moment to capture the Dark King, for he was utterly exhausted both physically and mentally. Moreover, his state of mind wasn't at an optimal level.

And that is why… the Dark King never saw Daggett coming.

Daggett moved like a ghost as he appeared behind the raven-haired youth. With a swift motion, he grabbed Adam's head, then brutally slammed him into the ground. The ground beneath them trembled from the impact, and the sound of bones cracking echoed around them.

However, the cultist wasn't finished. In the next moment, he completed the physical component of another spell, and a thick band of darkness materialized in the air, snapping around Adam's wrists and binding them behind his back. A second band coiled around his legs, pinning them just as tightly.

The cultist rose to his feet and kicked Adam, rolling him onto his back. He then weaved yet another spell, planning to seal the youth's mana pathways. Throughout it all, Adam did not resist. He was tired. So, so tired.

Half a dozen strips of dark mists, each as big as an adult human's forearms, materialized in the air, then shot towards specific points on Adam's torso. As the dark strips effortlessly pierced Adam's body, they blocked his mana channels, effectively preventing him from casting spells.

All of that took less than two seconds. A satisfied smile appeared on Daggett's face, and he murmured, "Captured, at last."

When he glanced at Adam's face, he was startled. His face was bruised and bloodied. His nose and right cheekbone had been fractured just now. But worst of them all… was his pair of eyes.

They were bloodshot and looked murky and unfocused… like that of a dead man.

Even Daggett, a Mana Core Magus, had to admit that he felt quite unsettled looking into those eyes. Moreover, seeing that the youth had an indifferent expression on his face also irked him. It was as if the fact that he had just been restrained by a Mana Core Magus didn't bother him at all.

"Hmph!" Daggett harrumphed. "What's with those eyes, boy? Did you lose your eyesight?"

"…A little bit," Adam answered in a flat tone.

The cultist's expression turned grim at that response. A new pair of eyes—powerful eyes—could always be transplanted. That wasn't the problem. But the casual manner in which Adam had answered caused him to feel a faint foreboding.

It was as if… as if Adam didn't care that his mana channels had been sealed. Or that he was restrained by a Mana Core Magus.

Adam suddenly asked a strange question:

"So you're the seventh one. Where have you been all this time?"

Daggett's eyes narrowed. It was as if Adam was speaking to a long-lost friend. He was calm and collected. Nothing could faze him. And that… really annoyed Daggett.

Veins on his forehead pulsed in fury as he leaned over and spoke with a vicious smile, "I paid a visit to Saratoga Castle. Would you like to know what happened?"

For the first time since Daggett encountered Adam, the latter displayed a hint of emotion.

Noticing that, Daggett's smile turned even more vicious. "Oh, the wails of the children… they were magnificent. The ancient castle, burning to the ground, was a sight to behold. The oldest Pillar of the Empire crumbled into ashes. All because of me—"

Adam scoffed, interrupting him.

"You're lying," he said with certainty. "For a moment, I really believed you, though. But it turns out, you're just a pathetic loser who fled with his tail tucked behind his legs. Saratoga burning to the ground? Fool, you dare say that after encountering that Terror of Marian Lake? You think he would allow such a thing to happen? Heh, you damned failure."

Daggett's expression turned cold as ice. A murderous light gleamed in his dark, lifeless eyes. He bent over and silently picked up Adam by his collar. Then, he augmented his fist with mana and delivered a solid strike to the youth's stomach.

Adam's eyes widened. Before a scream of agony could escape his lips, a gush of blood and pieces of innards spilled out instead.

"Looks like you don't understand the situation you're in, boy." Daggett withdrew his hand and then delivered another solid punch, this time… to the liver.

Adam was in a world of pain, drowning in it. He felt his entire body become paralyzed by that last blow. He continued to vomit mouthfuls of blood as he struggled to breathe.

And that was when Daggett said something that flipped a switch inside his mind.

The cultist leaned closer and whispered with a malicious grin:

"Yes, that is exactly the face that decrepit witch, Mathilda, made when my undead knight drove a sword through her heart. Tell me, boy, do you think I'm lying now?"

Adam's eyes gradually widened.

In that moment… something inside of him snapped.

And Laughing God whispered...

Mocking him.